The word ‘obsessive’ is used commonly. This can mean different things to different
people. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder. In this
condition, the person suffers from obsessions and / or compulsions that affect their
everyday life, like going to school on time, finishing homework or being out with
friends.

What are the symptoms?

An obsession is a thought, image or urge that keeps coming into your mind even though
you may not want it to. An obsession can be annoying, unpleasant or distressing and
you may want it to go away. An example of an obsession is the thought that your hands
are dirty even though they are not. Different people have different obsessions.

Here are some examples:

Fears about dirt and spreading disease

Worrying about harm happening to you or someone else

Fearing that something ‘bad’ may happen

Worrying about things being tidy

Worrying about having an illness

Having an obsession often leads to anxiety or feeling uncomfortable and you may then
have the urge to ‘put it right’. This is where compulsions come in.

Compulsions are things you feel you need to do usually to control your ‘obsessions’,
even though you may not want to. You might even try to stop doing them, but this
might not be possible.

Often, a compulsion means doing something again and again, as a ‘ritual’. By doing
the compulsion you feel you can prevent or reduce your anxiety about what you fear
may happen if you don’t do it. For example, turning the light on and off 20 times
because you worry something bad may happen if you don’t.

Different people have different compulsions. Some examples include:

Washing

Checking

Thinking certain thoughts

Touching

Ordering / arranging things or lining things up

Counting

Individuals who have these problems often try to avoid any situation that might set
off obsessive thoughts (e.g. not using hands to open doors). When obsessions and
compulsions take up a lot of your time, interfere with your life and cause you distress,
it becomes obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Who does OCD affect?

OCD is common and can affect people of all ages irrespective of their class, religion
or gender.

What causes OCD?

We do not know the cause of OCD for certain. However, research suggests that OCD
may be due to an imbalance of a brain chemical called ‘serotonin’. It is likely
that there may be someone in your family who has similar disorder (OCD) or have tics
(jerky movements).

Sometimes the symptoms seem to start after a specific type of infection (cough and
cold). It can also occur after a difficult time in your life like having an accident.

How is it treated?

There are psychological treatments and medications available to treat OCD.

One of the helpful psychological or talking treatments for OCD is cognitive behavioural
therapy (CBT) that includes exposure and response prevention (ERP). CBT is a psychological
approach that is effective in treating young people with OCD.

In OCD people often think that by avoiding a certain situation or doing the ritual
/ compulsion helps to keep the worry (obsession) away or come true. However, this
does not help the worry to go away. In the treatment for OCD, the therapist would
help you to understand this reality and also teach you ways to face the worry rather
than running away from it. Eventually this helps to get rid of your obsessions and
compulsions.

In ERP the therapist helps you to face the things you fear and have been avoiding.
They then help you to stop responding in your usual way (like not letting you wash
hands when you worry it is dirty). To help you fight OCD, you will be taught a wide
range of skills to manage the anxiety that OCD creates. This helps you to learn strategies
to control the OCD rather than it controlling you.

Sometimes the therapist may suggest someone in your family be involved during the
therapy.

When OCD is severe or you struggle to do the psychological treatment, you may need
medication. This is usually given to help whilst trying the CBT. Medication can help
you get the most out of the psychological treatment.

How can I get help?

It is important to seek help early and remember that having OCD does not mean you
are ‘mad’ and ‘losing control’.

If you are worried about yourself, you should talk to someone you trust such as your
parents, carers or a teacher. A lot of adults with OCD never got any help for their
problems when younger, and now wish they had.

Your GP or school nurse can give you advice and help you get specialist help from
the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), who will talk to you regarding
the difficulties you are experiencing.

It can be hard or embarrassing to discuss details of your obsessions or compulsions,
but giving as much detail as possible will help the therapist or psychiatrist give
you the right treatment. If your life has become severely affected by OCD, you may
also need help from other professionals for example, teachers to help you get back
to ordinary life at school or college.